Mystery Current—2016 Hawk Slide-in on Flatbed

[Saipan1]

Hopefully someone can offer a diagnosis/solution to my odd issue. When I turn off 2015 F-350 ignition, a small amount of current remains to dimly illuminate the LED taillights on the flatbed. The lights are so dim it’s not noticeable until dusk/dark. An auto electric guy suggested it may be “back charging” from the camper. It is causing the truck battery to draw down and occurs even if the camper power is shut down. Ideas??

 

[Jon R]

Do you have camper marker lights connected to the truck tail light circuit? If so, are those lights also dimly illuminated under the same conditions?

 

[Saipan1]

Thanks for responding, Jon. I don’t know if the truck tail lights are in the same circuit. The camper was installed by a FWC dealer in Bozeman, MT. The camper marker lights do not stay lit when the taillights do.

 

[fish more]

I had my left rear marker lamp on my Hawk staying on very dim, it was a loose ground at the lamp.

 

[Saipan1]

Thanks Fish. That was my initial thought, but it is both tail lights. Maybe further upstream than actual light?

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

If it is easily accessible, check your "Truck-to-Camper" wiring plug.

Usually that will be an Attwood trolling motor plug.

If you can, and it is easy, try unplugging it at night (temporarily unplug the camper from the truck connection) and see if the tail light dim goes away ?

We have seen some of the Attwood trolling motor plug with corrosion inside of it. Just enough corrosion for the 12v current to jump posts inside the plug and supply a small about of power to the marker lights / running lights on the camper.

I'm not sure that would also power the tail lights on the flatbed? But ... I think the camper marker lights are hooked up to the flatbed tail lights, so it could be bleeding over.

Just thinking out loud. Try the simple thing first, and then work backwards to the harder to get stuff.

Hope this helps.

 

[Outnabout]

If it is easily accessible, check your "Truck-to-Camper" wiring plug.

Usually that will be an Attwood trolling motor plug.

If you can, and it is easy, try unplugging it at night (temporarily unplug the camper from the truck connection) and see if the tail light dim goes away ?

We have seen some of the Attwood trolling motor plug with corrosion inside of it. Just enough corrosion for the 12v current to jump posts inside the plug and supply a small about of power to the marker lights / running lights on the camper.

I'm not sure that would also power the tail lights on the flatbed? But ... I think the camper marker lights are hooked up to the flatbed tail lights, so it could be bleeding over.

Just thinking out loud. Try the simple thing first, and then work backwards to the harder to get stuff.

Hope this helps.

This has happened to me. Corrosion in the bed plug was causing my truck taillights to glow very dimly. Cleaned up the greenish crude and problem went away.